Whether you're going to be away three days or a full week, there are things you should do before you leave. Never leave and make it obvious that your house or apartment is empty. That is an open invitation to a burglar and there are people whom regularly drive around neighborhoods and apartment complexes looking for those telltale signs. They are experts at what they do but there are steps you can take to help protect your property.
First and foremost, always tell someone...family member, close friend or trusted neighbor...when you're leaving and when you're coming back. Make sure you personally talk to that person and don't leave a message on an answering machine or voice mail. You don't know who else has access and you don't want just anyone knowing you're going to be gone. Make sure to tell someone who will watch your home for you.
Now that you have someone to watch your home, ask them to pick up your mail/newspaper and check to ensure all your doors are locked and secure. Also, ask them to look at windows. They should not only look for broken windows but for any signs of tampering such as a partially opened window. If they notice any sign of tampering with doors or windows, they should never go into your home! Tell them that. Tell them to leave and call 911 since an intruder could still be there. You don't want them to be a victim.
If they are going to have access to the inside of your home, tell them to put your mail/newspaper in a designated cabinet. If it's left out or on a table then anyone looking in through a window or door could see it and quickly figure out you're away. Plus, if it's easy to find and someone does break into your home, they'll grab the bills/ credit card statements with your personal information and use it themselves or sell it. Another thing you might ask your house watcher to do is use your trash service (for curbside pick-up). It will appear as if you're home. Or, if it's wintertime, have someone plow your drive or shovel your walkway or sidewalk. During summer months, have a family member or friend mow the lawn if you're going to be gone at least a week.
Before you leave, put timers on lamps in different rooms of your house and set them for morning and evening hours. Also, if you have porch lights, leave them on. Before you leave, put a small mark on the porchlight, somewhere that's hard to see. Plus, hook a timer up to your TV and set it to run for several hours a night. You can buy timers at any retail or hardware store and they are fairly inexpensive.
We're all a little tired when we get home from vacation...go figure. But, don't just walk right in. Take a minute and look around. Check the windows and doors. If anything is open or slightly open, call 911 and leave. Is the porch light on? If not, is it loose in the socket? If it is, don't go in! Call 911 and leave. Loosening the porchlight is a trick burglars use so they can't be seen. Remember that little mark you put on the light? Is it still perfectly lined up? If not, don't go in. Call 911and leave. If the light is out then then try to twist it to see if it comes out of the socket easily. Another trick burglars use is to tap the light to break the filament but it usually breaks or cracks the light at the metal base at the same time. If you can't twist the light out and it breaks at the metal base, again, don't go in your house. Call 911and leave.
If you get home and have a problem then call 911 and leave (I can't stress that enough). Give the dispatcher your cell phone number or a number where you can be reached after explaining the situation and be sure to tell the dispatcher that you believe someone is in your home when you make that call. Leave and get to a safe area. Your car is not a safe area...go to a public area...gas station, library, hospital or drive to the police station. Don't do it from your home! You have no way of knowing when your home was entered and the intruder/ intruders could still be there. Always go to a safe area first. If you get home and an intruder is there, you could very easily become a victim of a horrible crime. Remember...call 911 and get to a safe area!
Copyright 2008, CAB, All Rights Reserved
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